Casefiles crossovers with the Digests

[MacGyver]

Hmm- well, I don't know enough on Tom Swift to know about continuity issues but I imagine there must be some, considering that the series' shift has jumped from father to son and then to a younger version of one of them and so forth... Yeah- this is about like trying to explain the continuity for the Saved By the Bell franchise.

[Bigfootman]

The best I can think of is perhaps Brenda Carlton moved away for a time during the Girl Detective books- went away to a private school somewhere or something. As to Deidre Shannon, presumably she moved away during the Nancy Drew Files or just ceased being a large part of Nancy's life anymore for whatever reason.

I highly doubt that Brenda Carlton moved away. Even during the Digests,  she had a full time job with the "Today's Times" (if only due to the fact that her father owned the newspaper) and she seemed very dedicated to her job. She also appears to have finished school before her appearance in the digests.

As for Deidre, it is very possible that she moved away, or another darker possibility is that she was murdered. Deidre was never the most popular person in River Heights. It's possible that someone killed her in between the GD books and the Files.   

Also, while it is possible that Nancy traded in the Hybrid for a Mustang, I'm baffled as to why she would. In the GDs, she cared about the environment, so it would make sense that she's driving a Hybrid, but then all of sudden she decides she's getting a Mustang. Why? And it  isn't even one of the new ones, it's a old one! The only problem she ever had with the Hybrid was that she forgot to put gas in it, the Hybrid never had any other problems from what I remember.

One other problem I forgot about in my first post is that the fashion in the Nancy Drew Files is outdated. Just look at the covers! This one for example:
http://images.ola.com/auctions/24234/dafp-545818-1.jpg
Why did everyone in River Heights suddenly decide to go retro?

"It could possibly work going before the Digests too, if only to help explain Frank and Joe's lesser maturity level due to them just plain being younger and more immature...(which could work if we assume that from #39-58 of the Originals, Frank and Joe actually stayed at 16 and 15, rather than 18 and 17 and that they kept their more rambunctious natures of the Original Text- which was a good bit more restrained in the Revised Text.)"

Also, as for the UBs taking place before the Digests, that's also impossible. Why? Some editions of "Sting of the Scorpion" mentioned "Night of the Werewolf" at the end. And the earlier digests strongly resemble the Bluespines, meaning that they took place right after the Bluespines.

[MacGyver]

I highly doubt that Brenda Carlton moved away. Even during the Digests,  she had a full time job with the "Today's Times" (if only due to the fact that her father owned the newspaper) and she seemed very dedicated to her job. She also appears to have finished school before her appearance in the digests.

Okay- well, there's always the awkward explanation of Brenda was there but just not mentioned. Boy Meets World did a joke with this when a 1st. Season character, Minkus, showed up again in the 5th. Season for graduation from high school with Cory and Shawn and Topanga. When asked about why they haven't seen him in all these years, he just tells them that he's been on the other side of the school, which Cory and Shawn kind of shudder about and say, "Oh- we don't go over there." And then Minkus heads off there, calling to Mr. Turner to wait up- another character who had been written off the show.

Also, while it is possible that Nancy traded in the Hybrid for a Mustang, I'm baffled as to why she would. In the GDs, she cared about the environment, so it would make sense that she's driving a Hybrid, but then all of sudden she decides she's getting a Mustang. Why? And it  isn't even one of the new ones, it's a old one! The only problem she ever had with the Hybrid was that she forgot to put gas in it, the Hybrid never had any other problems from what I remember.

What can I say? Nancy became a slacker and didn't care about the environment anymore. She let her passion for older cars get the best of her and made a purchase for a car that was not really sound for the environment- but oh well.

One other problem I forgot about in my first post is that the fashion in the Nancy Drew Files is outdated. Just look at the covers! This one for example:
http://images.ola.com/auctions/24234/dafp-545818-1.jpg
Why did everyone in River Heights suddenly decide to go retro?

Didn't you hear, man? The '80s are back in style- WAY back in style.

"It could possibly work going before the Digests too, if only to help explain Frank and Joe's lesser maturity level due to them just plain being younger and more immature...(which could work if we assume that from #39-58 of the Originals, Frank and Joe actually stayed at 16 and 15, rather than 18 and 17 and that they kept their more rambunctious natures of the Original Text- which was a good bit more restrained in the Revised Text.)"

Also, as for the UBs taking place before the Digests, that's also impossible. Why? Some editions of "Sting of the Scorpion" mentioned "Night of the Werewolf" at the end. And the earlier digests strongly resemble the Bluespines, meaning that they took place right after the Bluespines.

Okay- so it'd be better to keep the Undercover Brothers books taking place after the Digests. And yeah- I've actually got a copy of The Sting of the Scorpion that mentions Night of the Werewolf as the Hardys' next case.
The Digests definitely are meant to continue on from the Original 58 books, so I would agree that it would be very hard to suddenly shift into the UB world from the Original books and then back to the Digests and then Casefiles- but not necessarily impossible.
But I agree that it doesn't make as much sense.
What about the original Original books? (i.e. the 38 pre-1959 revisions books)- What if those were the original first 38 books- and then the Undercover Brothers books took place- before jumping back to #39 The Mystery of the Chinese Junk and onward?
(That would really be a stretch.)
       As I said before- ultimately, it just doesn't work all that well at all to try to force the Undercover Brothers books into the regular continuity when obviously they weren't written to conform to that. But as SDLAgent said, it's fun to try.

[SDLagent]

If we want to fit the continuities together, we have to just ignore the fashions of the times because they'll never match-up. Even within individual series times passes, technology advances but the boys don't age.   

[Bigfootman]

Here's a (strange) theory of my own:
The "Fear Street" series by R.L Stine takes place in the same continuity as the Hardy Boys series. We know that Aliens and Time Travel exist in the  Hardy Boys continuity due to the "Ultra Thrillers", and "Ghost Stories" shows that ghosts exist in the Hardy Boys continuity as well.  So it's not impossible that  Shadyside, a town with several ghosts, exists in the Hardy Boys continuity. I'll admit there's not much evidence for the theory, but there's no evidence disproving it either.

[MacGyver]

Is the Fear Street series also published by Simon & Schuster?

[Bigfootman]

Is the Fear Street series also published by Simon & Schuster?

Yes, it is. It was also published under the "Archway Paperbacks" imprint of  Simon &  Schuster, the same imprint used to publish the Casefiles and Nancy Drew Files.

[MacGyver]

Hmmm- okay. That helps give your theory some credence then. However, the books aren't one of the Stratemeyer Syndicate series of course- but there's still plenty of room to do a fanfiction crossover if you're interested in that. 

[Hardy Boys UB Fan]

Hmmm- okay. That helps give your theory some credence then. However, the books aren't one of the Stratemeyer Syndicate series of course- but there's still plenty of room to do a fanfiction crossover if you're interested in that.

No thanks.

[MacGyver]

Now the question will be- where does The Hardy Boys Adventure series fit into the continuity? Of course, we won't know that until the actual series is released. However, in the meantime, the completely unfounded and groundless speculation can begin!

[Hardy Boys UB Fan]

Now the question will be- where does The Hardy Boys Adventure series fit into the continuity? Of course, we won't know that until the actual series is released. However, in the meantime, the completely unfounded and groundless speculation can begin!

I hope it's something along the same lines as the Casefiles.

[MacGyver]

That would probably be good- but I don't want it to be a complete facsimile of The Casefiles either- unless they were actually going to resuscitate the Casefiles and continue the series- but I don't see that happening. It sounds more like an amalgamation of past series, which could be pretty good. I'm just wondering how it might fit in the continuity timeline though- presumably after the Undercover Brothers series, I guess.

[tomswift2002]

The Undercover Brothers fit better outside the continuity timeline since it has so many restarts and problems with the other series.

[MacGyver]

Ah- so The Undercover Brothers series is now like the Superman Returns of The Hardy Boys franchise- the failed reboot that will now be replaced with another reboot- Superman: Man of Steel. Hopefully both that movie and The Hardy Boys: Adventure series will be successful. (Although for the record, I liked Superman Returns for the most part- though there were some elements I could have done without. I don't think I can say that as much for The Hardy Boys: Undercover Brothers series though.... More like there are some good things and some good elements, but too many detractors....)

[tomswift2002]

It would be nice if the new Hardy Boys series was like #'s 84 & 85 in the original continuity.